The 2010 Build a Bid Schedule will be announced soon!

The Build a Bid Workshop will help you:
-Understand what it costs you to remove snow and ice
-Use historical weather data to create more accurate bids for your company
-Effectively present your bid and close the sale
-Take the guesswork out of bidding!

Program Description and Schedule
Build a Bid Specialists

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Program Description
Experienced snow professionals have spent years developing strong processes to create sustainable bidding practices for their companies. While there is no one way to bid, the concepts and processes that make up the basic components are essentially the same. Join SIMA and our bid building specialists for a full day presentation and workshop.

The program is designed to present a comprehensive approach to bidding. A presentation in the morning by the Bid Specialists will be followed by a hands-on workshop that will break the bidding process down into manageable parts, and stress a number of Core Concepts that will help you create better, more accurate bids for your company and customers.

Program Schedule
8:30 am: Welcome and Introductions
8:45 am – 11:30 am -- Core Concepts Presented

Hands-On Workshop Begins
11:30 am – 11:45 am: Mock phone call with a new customer
11:45 am – 12:15 pm: Exercise 1—Qualifying the Customer/Bid-No Bid Decision

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Exercise 2—Measuring exercise in hotel parking lot
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Exercises 3 & 4—Overhead & Equipment
2:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Break
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm: Exercise 5—Production Numbers/Burden Rate/Final Bid
3:45 - 5:00 pm: Exercise 6—Delivering the Bid / Post-Selling
5:00 - 5:30 pm: Wrap up and Q&A

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Bid Building Specialists
The Build a Bid Summer Workshops will each feature 3 snow and ice professionals who have a solid understanding of how bidding works for snow and ice. These specialists will present the basic foundations of a bid in the morning, and then conduct a workshop with attendees in the afternoon. They will serve as facilitators during workshops, answering questions and providing real-life insight into bidding. The summer workshop Bid Building Specialists are Mike Mason, Rich Arlington, CSP, Bob Smart, CSP, and Phil Harwood, CSP. 

This program cannot, and will not, tell you what to charge. It can help you learn the nuts and bolts of the bidding process for snow and ice.

The program is eligible for 7 CSP continuing education credits. Event includes  a light continental breakfast, and hot lunch. Attendees will also be given a workbook to keep and access to a special portion of the SIMA website for review, additional materials, and more!

Welcome our Newest Build a Bid Presenter! David Gallagher is the Success Coach at LandOpt, LLC, a business operating system which includes focus on core principals of sales, HR, business management and operations. In his role, David mentors business owner that operate on the LandOpt software. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Science of Penn State University in 1999, and has been working in the landscape & snow & ice industries ever since.

Mike Mason, CSP is the VP of Operations for The LawnPro in Louisville, KY.  He is a graduate of the University of Louisville, where he attained a  BSBA with a major in Finance and a minor in International Business.  Mike has been with The LawnPro for the last 12 years, and has been overseeing the snow as well as the day to day operations for the last 10 years.  Mike brings a unique perspective to the snow and ice industry as his market only averages about 18 inches per year.

Rich Arlington, CSP has been in the Snow & Ice and Green industry since 1975 when as a kid he worked throughout his neighborhood doing mowing, leaf cleanup, and shoveling snow. Rich began, working in the commercial industry in 1987 as a subcontractor for a local snowplowing company doing sidewalks. Rich has served as an expert witness in Snow cases across the United States and has been listed in the National Register of Who’s Who in Business Executives since 2001.

Bob Smart, CSP was majority owner of Yard Smart, Inc. in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, guiding that company successfully for 22 years. After the sale of his old company his newest venture takes the form of two new companies, Smart Scapes Landscaping, Inc. a landscape management company, and Mr. Yard, Inc. a landscape supply business. Bob has been involved in many organizations and associations. While active with SIMA, Bob has received the following awards: SIMA For Excellence in Business (2004), SIMA Top Recruiter (2004 & 2005) and SIMA Volunteer Of The Year (2005).

Phil Harwood, CSP has extensive business experience as an entrepreneur, business owner, executive manager, speaker, and writer. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree in integrative management, a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing, and several professional designations. Phil was a co-owner in a large Michigan snow and ice management firm for many years before founding Pro-Motion Marketing, an internationally-recognized marketing firm that exists to help organizations discover, promote, and manage their unique brand value.

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